


Of Dogs and Flowers

by Dawnoverdespair



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-16
Updated: 2016-08-16
Packaged: 2018-08-09 05:42:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7788904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dawnoverdespair/pseuds/Dawnoverdespair
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There’s a jogger that goes by Levi’s house every other day. He always brings his dog with him. Levi is not a huge fan of either of them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Dogs and Flowers

**Author's Note:**

> EDIT: Now with AMAZING FANART by the lovely [nyranin!](https://nyranin.tumblr.com/post/154245838903/helloooooo-yes-im-still-alive-barely-though) I'M SO FLATTERED OMFG

Levi pushes aside the curtain, looks out his window, and scowls. That blonde prick is back. Specifically, that blonde prick and his dog are back. Levi knows them well by now: a tall blondie that always goes jogging down his street and brings his dumb dog with him. The street is too far away from Levi’s house for him to see Blondie’s face clearly, but Levi is sure that it looks punchable. And oh, does he _ever_ want to punch this guy.

Dog walkers aren’t anything special in his neighborhood. He lives in a small town, but it’s pretty well populated, and when the weather is nice plenty of people are out and about, even in the suburbs. Plenty of people walk their dogs, probably eager to take advantage of the good weather and work out some of their mutt’s energy. Levi wouldn’t know; he owns a cat.

Blondie is a special case. He shows up almost every other day at around three o’clock and jogs down Rose Avenue, wearing a sweaty t-shirt and a pair of shorts that Levi can—even from a distance—see hugs his ass tightly. He has one of those phone armbands as well as those earbuds with a speaker on the wire, and he is always chattering away into it. A black fanny pack hangs from his hips. A bright red leash is always hooked around his wrist, and trotting alongside him is some stupid purebred. Levi thinks it might be a Labrador. It always has this idiotic look on its face; its lips are always pulled back in a sort of grin, tongue lolling out to the side. Sometimes drool drips from its mouth as it forgets to swallow, eventually turning into foam. Its tail is almost wagging as it walks, held aloft just above its spine. The beast’s fur is nearly the same color as Blondie’s hair, and the way they’re color coordinated somehow irritates Levi even more.

However, nothing about his appearance is what makes Levi utterly loathe him. He can't even see the specifics from his house, anyway. No, there’s one thing, one single, solitary fact, that makes Levi’s very being burn with anger at the very sight of this man.

His dog pisses on Levi’s garden.

Levi is proud of that garden. He’s spent countless hours working on it: weeding, watering, fertilizing, tending to it more lovingly than some would their own children. He doesn’t just plant flowers; he also grows food for himself. It’s much more delicious than anything you’d find in a grocery store.

He’s been gardening since he was small. His mother taught him how, and she passed her passion on to him. Even though it’s pretty much a hobby to him, he still takes great pride in it and enjoys it much more than he does most things, which is why he takes great offense to the dog that ruins his pansies almost every other afternoon.

Blondie never does anything to stop it. He just watches as the dog pulls him over to Levi’s garden, as the stupid mutt tramples _over his tulips,_ towards his pansies, raises a leg, and lets out a stream of urine that’s sure to damage the poor things. Levi can tell by the faint sound of his voice and by the man’s body language that he finds it _amusing_ , and that just makes him seethe with anger.

“He’s doing it again, Cherry,” Levi says, glowering out at Blondie and the dog through his living room window.

His cat blinks lazily at him from where she sits on the ottoman.

“He’s a real douchebag,” Levi says in a falsetto. This is his Cherry Voice. It’s not him talking to himself, not really, or at least he likes to think it isn’t. It's more like he's giving a voice to someone that doesn't have one. Yeah, that's it.

“Couldn’t agree more.”

Levi steps away from the window and goes to the kitchen to make himself something to eat. He can’t watch the dog hurt his babies again. It’s too painful. Cherry gets up, stretches, and hops off the ottoman. The ginger tabby winds around his legs and nearly trips him.

“My food dish is pretty empty, y’know,” Cherry says.

“It’s not seven o’clock yet, fatass,” Levi replies affectionately, bending over to give her a scratch behind the ear. She trots out of his reach before he can get close enough. Traitor.

 

* * *

“So how’s England been treating you guys?” Levi asks.

“It’s great!” Isabel says. “We’ve been traveling a lot, and there’s so much to _see_ , and it’s all so _old_! Did you know that there’s an old Roman bath house here? In _England_? I didn’t!”

“We’re touring northern England,” Farlan says. “And we’re going to go to Scotland next.”

Isabel pushes her way in front of Farlan so that she takes up most of the screen. She pouts. “I wish you were here too, big bro.”

“Someone has to watch the shop,” Levi says. “Besides, don’t forget who’s funding your little adventure.”

Isabel rolls her eyes and Farlan smiles.

“Anyway, how’re things back home?” Farlan asks. “As uneventful as ever?”

Levi is about to say yes when Isabel shoves her way forward again, her green eyes shining with mischief this time.

“Is your favorite dog walker still coming by?” she asks with a grin.

This time, it’s Levi’s turn to roll his eyes. “Of fucking course,” he says. “The prick acts like he won’t be satisfied until he’s wrecked my entire garden.”

“You poor thing,” Farlan says, amusement in his eyes.

“Don’t make fun of me,” Levi snaps. “I put a lot of work into those plants.”

“I know you do, big bro. If I was there, I’d punch him for you!” Isabel says, smacking her fist into her palm for emphasis.

Farlan puts his hand on her shoulder. “Okay, that’s enough. Levi, if you want him to stop, you should just talk to him. I’m sure he’d listen if you asked politely.”

Levi curls his lip. “I’d rather shit a knife.”

“Why?”

“Because Levi is physically incapable of being polite,” Isabel says. Farlan gives her a reproachful look. Levi just glares.

“Fine, I’ll talk to him,” Levi sighs. “I can’t guarantee that I’ll be polite, though.” _I’m going to chew him the fuck out_.

“That’s a start,” Farlan says, smiling.

Isabel yawns, and Farlan glances at what must be the bottom of his laptop screen.

“Okay, it’s super late over here. We should really get to bed if we’re going to wake up early enough to catch our train in the morning. Talk to you later, Levi!”

“Yeah, ‘night.”

Without another word, the Skype call ends. Levi stares at his desktop and contemplates how, exactly, he’s going to yell at Blondie tomorrow.

* * *

“Yeah, that’s the spot,” Cherry says as Levi scratches her just above her tail.

“You’re going to have to let me get up,” Levi says. “Or I’m going to miss my chance to yell at Blondie.”

“Nuh-uh,” Cherry says. “You’re gonna stay right here and pet me forever.”

“You’re hopeless.”

“Pet me.”

It’s only by pure chance that Levi looks up in time to see Blondie approach. He immediately stands up, sending Cherry flying off his lap with a startled meow. Levi grits his teeth and mentally goes over the script he’d prepared this morning.

 _Hey, asshole,_ he’ll say, _you’re the one that jogs by here all the time, right?_

 _Yes, may I help you?_ Blondie will say, in his undoubtedly smug and posh voice.

 _If you don’t get your damn mutt to stop pissing on my flowers, I will take your overpriced phone and personally shove it up your pompous ass, you got that, you snotty, inconsiderate fucker?_ Then, Blondie will be shocked, and he’ll agree due to how intimidating Levi is, and Levi will never have to deal with this prick again.

Levi throws his front door open and hurries down his front walk, towards where Blondie’s dog is already snuffling its way towards his precious garden. Anger flares up within him like fire.

“Hey, you!” _Shit, off the script already._

Blondie turns to look at him, and that’s when his plan is entirely derailed.

This man is _hot_. Unbelievably, undeniably, unequivocally _hot._ Levi’s goes from a blaze to a dying ember. The vague impression Levi had been able to get from his living room window hadn’t nearly been enough to encapsulate this man’s appearance.

He’s incredibly handsome. His features are chiseled, his cheekbones high, his jaw sharp and strong. His eyes are startlingly blue, his lips are full, his thick blonde hair is neatly parted and combed, and the only visible flaw—his large and bushy eyebrows—only serves to accentuate how handsome the rest of his features are.

His body… oh God, his body… he’s toned and fit, with the body of someone that’s exercised regularly. His muscles are well-defined. The sweat on his shirt makes it cling to his skin, and Levi feels himself go weak at the sight of way Blondie’s muscles stand out against the fabric. Levi’s sure that if he could see Blondie’s ass, it would probably be one of the firmest ones he’s ever seen, and he’s incredibly thankful that he’s wearing baggy clothes.

The dog barks at the sight of Levi and jumps forward. Levi curses loudly and moves to get out of the dog’s range, but he’s not fast enough. The dog is on him, wriggling around his legs, hopping up on its hind legs, attempting to lick his face, wagging its tail so hard its whole body shakes. Its eyes have gone so wide that Levi can see the whites, and it gives the dog a deranged look, and that only serves to make Levi even more alarmed.

“Finn! Off!” Blondie says sharply. He tugs on the leash. The dog is dragged off of Levi, though it still attempts to strain towards him, still wagging its entire body. “I am so sorry about him,” Blondie says. “He’s only a few months old, and I’m still training him to not react so enthusiastically towards strangers.”

“You’re doing great so far,” Levi says sourly, brushing dog hair off his clothes.

Surprisingly, Blondie laughs. “It’s a process,” he says. He pauses. “Are you the owner of this house?”

“Oh, yeah, I am,” Levi says.

Blondie takes his earbuds out, puts them around his neck, and holds out a hand. “Erwin Smith,” he says.

Levi stares at his hand for a moment, then sighs and gives it a brief shake. “Levi Ackerman.”

“I have to say, I’ve really been admiring your property,” Erwin says, putting his hand on his hips and looking over at Levi’s lawn. “It’s very well cared for.”

“Thanks, I guess.”

“Finn’s a fan of it, too,” Erwin says, looking down at the dog, who is pulling towards the flowers. Levi’s stomach turns.

Sensing an opening, Levi clears his throat. “Yeah, about that, I…”

Erwin hums curiously, raising an eyebrow. Levi feels his face heat up. God _damn_ it, no one has the right to be that hot while making a curious puppy face.

“Listen,” he says, his words halting and awkward, “Your dog—Finn—he’s been pissing on my garden. And walking on it. I, uh… I put a lot of work in it. And… I, uh. I’d appreciate it if you’d… not… let him do that?”

Erwin stares at him for several heartbeats. Levi stares back, though he wants nothing more than to avert his eyes and hide. Then, surprisingly, Erwin smiles.

“Oh!” Erwin says. “Why didn’t you say so?”

“Yeah… that’s why those flowers over there are wilted,” Levi says. “Piss has toxins in it, and… yeah.”

“I’m so sorry,” Erwin says earnestly, “I honestly didn’t know. I suppose Finn was just trying to mark his territory or something. I won’t let him do it again. If it’s any consolation, I can stop taking this route, if you’d like.”

“No!” Levi all but shouts, instantly making his face flush. He hadn’t meant to, but the thought of not seeing this hot piece of ass again is unthinkable. This hot piece of ass that is both attractive and also _really nice._ God dammit, he’s too gay for his own good.

“Okay,” Erwin says, looking bemused. “Uh. Well, I won’t let Finn ruin your flowers anymore, Levi. It was nice meeting you.”

He turns to leave. Levi isn’t sure what makes him do what he does next; perhaps it was the view of Erwin’s perfectly sculpted ass, or perhaps it was the possibility of never speaking to this hot man ever again.

“Wait!”

 

* * *

“You look like that went well,” Cherry comments when Levi stumbles back inside.

“I can’t believe that just happened,” Levi mutters. He runs a hand through his hair as his mouth twitches into a grin. “That really just happened.”

Cherry pads after him as he stumbles his way into the living room. He flops down onto the armchair, and she hops onto his lap and begins to purr loudly when he absentmindedly scratches behind her ear.

“I can’t believe I just got his number,” Levi says.

**Author's Note:**

> I was inspired by the fact that my dog, Leonidas, loves to mark things, which includes a particular flowerbed in my town. I feel for whoever lives in that house.


End file.
